New U.S. envoy for Syria to travel to Russia, Saudi Arabia -source

WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The United States' new
special envoy for Syria, Michael Ratney, will visit Moscow,
Riyadh and Geneva later this week in an attempt to find a
political solution to the four-year old Syrian conflict.

A senior State Department official said Ratney, who was
named as the envoy on July 27, would travel to the three centers
from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2.

"Special Envoy Ratney will meet August 28 in Moscow with
senior Russian officials and August 29 in Riyadh with senior
Saudi officials, to continue discussions about working towards a
genuine political transition and bringing an end to the
devastating crisis in Syria," said the official, who requested
anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about
the plans.

In Geneva, he will meet with the United Nation's special
envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

The Obama administration has long insisted that a political
solution in Syria must include the exit of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Moscow and Tehran.

The United States has welcomed initiatives by Russia and the
United Nations to convene new talks, although Washington insists
that it must be done under the so-called Geneva framework, which
proposes a transitional governing body in Syria.

Attempts last year to revive the U.N.-backed Geneva process
between the Western-backed Syrian opposition and a government
delegation failed after the sides disagreed over Assad's exit.

The United States has been training and equipping Syrian
opposition fighters trying to topple Assad, while a U.S-led
coalition has bombed Islamic State militants in Syria.

In an interview with al-Manar TV that was broadcast on
Tuesday, Assad said he was open to an idea of a coalition
against Islamic State but indicated there was little chance of
it happening with his enemies, referring to Turkey and Saudi
Arabia which have backed insurgent groups fighting him.

Assad's comments cast further doubt on a Russian plan to
forge an alliance against the Islamic State. Saudi Arabia has
ruled out any coalition with Assad, and like the United States,
wants to see Assad out of power.

At the State Department, spokesman John Kirby insisted,
"There is not going to be a military solution to this. It's got
to be done politically."

He said Ratney's tour was part of U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry's efforts to "explore options with the Russians and
with Saudi Arabia."

Kirby said the United States had long expressed concern over
Moscow's support for Assad, and added, "His brutality, his loss
of legitimacy to govern has only allowed ISIL to fester inside
the country." The Islamic State group is also known as ISIL.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Bernard Orr, Toni
Reinhold)